The top one-on-one matchup of the day is Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd against Utah cornerback Brandon Burton. Floyd is statistically having a great season, but has had issues with dropping the ball. Burton has really come on and projects as a solid second round choice. Both are juniors.
Another to watch is Oregon middle linebacker Casey Matthews tracking down Cal's Shane Vereen. Matthews isn't the pass rusher his brother is for the Packers, but he's a heady player. He's athletic, so shutting down the quick and agile Vereen could be a signature game for Matthews.
Saturday NFL Draft watch notes
A junior offensive tackle to note is Northwestern’s
. He faces arguably his toughest test of the season with Iowa today. The Hawkeyes have one of the best power defensive lines in the nation. Netter has shown he can mirror on the edge well against speed rushers. But there are some questions about his power blocking.
In the shadow of wide receiver
, Oklahoma State running back
has been impressive this season. He’s run for 1,240 yards and 14 touchdowns with two games of more than 200 yards. Hunter is also a good receiver and projects as a solid third back in the NFL.
Missouri quarterback
has been struggling of late. In the last two games, both losses, he’s completed just 30 of 72 passes. Some are even calling for a quarterback change. If Gabbert wants to go pro after this season, he’ll have to close strong.
A couple of Illinois defenders are grabbing attention this season. They are defensive tackle Corey Luiget and linebacker
. Both are juniors. Wilson has returned from an injury last season to lead Illinois in tackles with 79. WIlson is big and athletic for a middle linebacker. Luiget has been lost in the shuffle of great defensive linemen this season. He’s a nimble and powerful. Someone to watch, maybe for the 2012 draft.
Florida’s Janoris Jenkins struggled against physical LSU receiver Terrence Toliver earlier in the season. He can prove it was a fluke but shutting down South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery today. The sophomore receiver is bigger and more physical than Toliver, so this is a good opportunity for Jenkins.
We’ll have a big scouting report on Mississippi State offensive tackle
early next week. I’m holding off to see how he does today against Alabama. Sherrod is great against speed rushers on the edge. But he can struggle at times against power linemen. That’s what he’ll face today.
Everyone is discounting San Diego State against TCU. Why? The Aztecs are 7-2 on the season for a reason. And that reason is talent. They have a pair of senior receivers in
and Vincent Brown. Both are solid late-round receiver choices.
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